A Night to Remember
by Nicator
Summary: Milly forces Lelouch to escort her to a masquerade ball. Despite Lelouch's reluctance, he does not come to regret this "mistake". Milly/Lelouch - eventual lemon (I will mark its start and end if you want to skip it) - (short story)
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: Hey quick note here. I believe this story will be three chapters. Not sure how rapidly I'll be able to churn this out, so sorry if the updates are slow. Spoiler: There will be a lemon during the course of this story.**

"Quit squirming and hook my arm like a gentleman!" Milly ordered with playful authority, nudging Lelouch in the ribs. He still couldn't remember how he ended up agreeing to this. Lelouch looked around in both awe and angst at all the prominent noblemen and noblewomen with all of their lavish clothes and fancy masks, stepping out of their luxurious limousines and speaking in their pompous accents.

"I still don't understand how you got an invitation, yet alone two," Lelouch whispered before reluctantly hooking his arm with hers. "The annual Tokyo masquerade ball is too prestigious, even for your family."

Milly adjusted her glittery gold mask to disentangle its row of red feathers that had gotten ever so slightly stuck in her hair. "Lloyd managed to pull a few strings for his fiancée-to-be and even told me to bring a friend so that I wouldn't get lonely."

"Don't you think he might be a little insulted that you have brought a male escort, when he is courting you?"

Milly laughed as if he had made a hilarious joke, but Lelouch saw no humour in anything right now and could only grind his teeth. "I promise you that the Earl Asplund has no desires for me beyond a trophy wife to ward away unwanted attention to his own... preferences or lack thereof. He even told me that if the time ever comes I can choose someone else to help conceive our child for us, as long as that someone is either a proficient knightmare pilot or a genius."

"What a cuck!" Lelouch choked out on impulse.

" _Lelouch_!" Milly huffed. She tried to keep a scowl on her face, but she couldn't hold back the giggles that escaped her. "That's no way to to refer to my future husband."

Lelouch unhooked himself from Milly and turned to face her. "This isn't funny Milly, this is a huge part of your future we're talking about here." He couldn't believe her nonchalantness sometimes.

Milly sighed and for a split second almost seemed sad. "Relax. We're soon at the entrance. Let's just have fun tonight, this is probably the only the time you and I will attend an event like this together, so let's just make the most of it." Lelouch wanted to retort for no other reason than having the final say, but there was something rarely genuine in Milly's eyes that pleaded with him to take what she said to heart.

Lelouch sighed. "Fine, tonight I'm yours. Shall we? _My lady?_ " Lelouch bowed, waving his arm towards the entrance.

"You're such a pompous prince at heart," Milly laughed, hooking her arm with his again. "I think this is gonna be a special night, I can feel it!"

* * *

The ballroom was a huge complex of stainless marble. The room was enclosed by a tall balcony stretching around every corner, being held up by hellenic styled pillars. Blue britannian banners hung at almost every conceivable place. "Lady Ashford and Lelouch Lamperouge, Esquire," The porter announced loudly as they passed through the door. Few people in the reception hall paid them any mind though. Their names and titles were as insignificant here as the lives of the elevens.

"Esquire eh?" Lelouch mused

"We had to fabricate some sort of noble title for you to get you in," Milly whispered.

"Couldn't you have a least made me a baron?"

"Too risky. Esquire is lowest of low when it comes to noble titles, so no one will give you much attention or even bother looking into your background to confirm who you are."

"Clever."

Soon after they had drifted further into the hall, the porter introduced a duke of Kyushu and his spouse, and quickly a sizeable crowd moved over to greet them. It was a little reminiscent of how teenagers would flock around the _cool kids_ back at the academy, completely asinine.

Milly wasn't completely ignored however, a few men's gazes did turn as they walked past. Lelouch couldn't blame them however. When Milly put the labour in, she could look a kind of stunning few could match. Her red feathered gold mask barely covered her cheekbones and ended just before the tip of her nose. Her elegant red dress did not reveal any cleavage, but fit so snugly that her hour glass figure was a very poorly kept secret. Lelouch had opted for a low key, but stylish outfit. His mask was a spiky stainless steel contraption resembling a fox only except for a beak that passed slightly down over his nose. He wore a black tunic with modest silver coloured embroidery and lining and matching black slacks.

Lelouch pulled Milly a little closer to deter anyone from being too bold. _Most these dukes and counts believe they are entitled to anything or anyone they want,_ Lelouch brooded.

Milly seemed to sense his thoughts. "Don't be jealous, I'm sure you'll catch the eyes of some high ranked ladies. Maybe one could become your sugar mama so you don't have to worry about school at all any more."

"Tch. That's hardly appealing."

"Seriously though. You gotta secure your future somehow Lulu."

"Speaking of futures, I think I've spotted yours." Lelouch nodded his head towards Lloyd.

"We are obligated to at least go over and say _hi,_ " Milly said, not seeming all that eager though.

The earl of pudding, Lloyd Asplund, was speaking very animatedly to a group of men who seemed to be cut from a more expensive cloth than most, even in such an esteemed assembly. He had clearly not even noticed their entrance just a little earlier.

"I swear to you my lords that this knightmare frame will be the very cutting edge of military technology, all I need is... a little additional funding and our armies could defeat the entire EU in a matter of weeks if we so desired."

A burly man with an overgrown moustache in the group shook his head. "You must be joking Lord Asplund. With the funds you need to make a simple prototype I could purchase a small army of Sutherlands."

"Indeed," another shorter snot nosed man agreed. "Your Lancelot may have performed amicably so far, but it can't compete with the sheer weight of numbers we could acquire with already tried and tested models."

Lloyd waved his hands dismissively. "Quality before quantity my friends. That is what has allowed Britannia to conquer at the rapid pace it has these last decades."

"Lloyd?" The earl of pudding spun around at the sound of his name, nearly poking a few eyeballs of his already impatient audience with the long beak of his mask.

"Milly my dear! I must introduce you to a few of my close friends here." Lloyd spun just as quickly back to his original companions. "Gentlemen, this beautiful young lady here is my fiancée Milly of the Ashford foundation."

The men acknowledged Milly with gestures ranging from immeasurable nods to curt bows. "I wouldn't exactly say that we are Lloyd's close friends," one man muttered.

"I brought Lelouch with me, my childhood friend from school," Milly explained.

Lelouch stuck out his hand to Lloyd. "It's an honour to meet you sir. I hope you don't mind me escorting Milly this evening. I know it can be a little awkward, considering you two are engage-."

"Nonsense!" Lloyd nearly shouted, gripping Lelouch's hand quickly before releasing it and patting him not so gently on the shoulders. "I'm just glad that somebody will be able to entertain my dear Milly whilst I see to more important business." The small crowd Lloyd had assembled seized this opportunity so slip away before he returned his attention to them.

"T-thank you sir! I am honoured to be of service." Lelouch had never met Lloyd before and he was taken aback by the man's... _eccentricity,_ despite having heard his fair share of rumours.

Lloyd seemed utterly puzzled when he turned to find that his prey had escaped, but someone else quickly seized his attention. He unceremoniously scurried away, sputtering a short farewell to Milly and Lelouch. "I must return to the fold. You kids enjoy yourselves. Oi Oi Count Crispin! I could spot your immaculate figure from a mile away. Have I indulged you with my latest research yet?"

Milly stared after him. "Well that was a nonchalant reaction to me, even for him."

"Are you _really_ going to marry that guy?" Lelouch whispered almost intimately into her ear.

"I don't know. I've been trying to push his limits just to see if he would break off our engagement. I was kinda hoping your presence would evoke some kind of jealous reaction out of him."

Lelouch felt a little bit stung, but could put a finger on why exactly. This was a typical plot for Milly to conjure up. "Is that the whole reason I'm here?"

"Well I did think flaunting a handsome young man right in front of him and his associates would work."

"Can I, maybe, just leave then? Seeing as how your master plan has unravelled." Lelouch had already subconsciously taken a small step towards the exit and started scouting out the best routes through the crowd.

"Oh no you don't!" Milly grabbed his arm possessively and her voice turned low. "I've put way to much effort into coming here just to be left alone with a pack high strung strangers. And don't you dare try to sneak off whilst I'm not looking, otherwise I'll tell everyone who caused that _accidental_ fire in the laboratory back at the academy."

"I've already explained it to you: It was Rivalz," Lelouch groaned.

"And we both know Rivalz is incapable trying any sort of serious independent endeavour. And why on earth would he be testing out volatile chemical mixtures in his own free time? Rivalz was just doing your dirty work for you as always, that much is obvious."

Lelouch sighed in defeat. "I should have done the mixing myself. Then we would never have burned downed the laboratory, much less get caught by you of all people."

Milly softly punched his shoulder. "Cheer up, spending an evening with me can't be all that bad." She then grabbed a couple of glasses of champagne from a nearby server and practically pushed the beverage into his face.

Lelouch understood where she was coming from. He wouldn't want to be left alone at such an event either partially for similar reasons. He detested the nobility well beyond Milly's seemingly superficial misgivings for them. _I should probably be relieved,_ Lelouch thought considering how determined Milly was to dig up any kind of dirt on him. If this was how she decided to enact her blackmail, it wasn't near the worst possible scenario by a mile.

Milly squeezed Lelouch's shoulder slightly before whispering into his ear. "Don't worry about the Lloyd thing, I have even more selfish reasons for bringing you than breaking my engagement."


	2. Chapter 2

The ballroom gradually filled itself to the brim with nobility and Milly emptied her glass of champagne at the same pace. "Fetch me another one?" Milly asked, extending the empty crystal holder to Lelouch.

Hesitant, Lelouch took the glass with his free hand. "Didn't you finish that a little fast? I haven't even drunk half of mine yet."

"Hm." Milly pulled Lelouch's beverage out of his hand and brought it up to her face, seemingly studying it contemplatively. She then quickly chugged the remaining champagne in one go.

"The hell!" Lelouch quietly exclaimed.

"Now you can get a new one for yourself as well," Milly chirped. It was typical for her to be satisfied with such a solution.

" _Milly..."_

Milly pouted. _"Please..."_ Her expression might manipulate any other man to unquestioningly obey, but Lelouch knew her better. Nonetheless he was willing to compromise.

"Only if you promise that this will be your last glass of champagne."

"Two more."

 _Little does she know that I was willing to go up to four_ , Lelouch mused internally. "Deal." Lelouch offered his pinky finger, an old childhood ritual of theirs, nearly forgotten.

Milly giggled, enveloping his pinky with her own, before playfully pushing him in the direction of a long serving table at other end of the big ballroom. "Now loosen up! We won't have any fun if you keep acting like you have a stick up your ass."

Lelouch stumbled a little, but more than any man should have. He gave Milly a glare, before stomping towards the drinks section, grumbling to himself the entire undignified march.

"I can't believe her sometimes. Dragging me to an event like this and then making no effort to remain incognito whatso- omph!" Lelouch realised he had arrived at his white-sheet-covered destination a little sooner than expected. He had probably been a little too distracted by his own brooding.

"Hey, maybe you have had too much to drink already sir?" A familiar quirky voice called to him from the other side of the table.

Lelouch head snapped up. "Rivalz?!"

Rivalz was dressed up in the elegant grey vest, white shirt and black slacks that all the other servants wore. And he looked at least to be equally as surprised as Lelouch. "Lelouch?! Is that you?"

"Don't make a scene!" Lelouch hissed, setting aside his two empty glasses.

Rivalz put his hands on the table and leaned forward. "How- why- what the hell are you doing here?" He whispered.

"I've been wondering the same thing. Milly asked, no, demanded that I accompany her."

Rivalz expression seemed to grow more confused at his answer."Why would you agree? You hate attending big social events."

"Well she had the perfect blackmail to coerce me after our little failed lab experiment."

"But why would she ask you? I was the one who nearly burned down the school."

"Well it's not blackmail if the recipient wants to fulfil the request anyway. Unfair as it is towards me. The entire thing was your fault. I gave you a formula with utterly precise instructions and proportions, yet you had to _improvise."_

Rivalz was unusually speechless after Lelouch's little rant, so he took this pause to quickly spot a pair of full glasses of champagne. "I need to get back to her. The sooner she has had her fill torturing me, the sooner I can leave."

Rivalz seemed to wake from his short lived time as a mute. "Lelouch wait!"

Lelouch however had already begun walking away. "I'll see ya later or tomorrow Rivalz," Lelouch called over his shoulder.

* * *

Annoyingly, but not surprisingly Milly had found new company in his absence or it seemed like new company had found her.

"So may I have the honour of your dance later this evening." A obvious military officer leaned cockily against a pillar sipping on his own champagne whilst talking to Milly. He wore a gold buttoned white coat with black shoulder pads. His mask resembled a bat.

"Sorry, I'm not really into military types," Milly responded as politely as possible.

The man chuckled almost maniacally. "I'm not just any _military type._ Your looking at a candidate for the knights of the round." He looked away to study his nails. "I promise you, the better _acquainted_ we get, the greater the bragging right you can share with your friends."

Milly forced a smile. "I have a fiancée, sorry."

Lelouch finally reached Milly's side and handed her one of the beverages he'd gotten. Milly mouthed a thank you and hooked Lelouch's arm with her own.

"Is this your so-called fiancée?" The officer sneered.

Milly affectionately leaned her head against Lelouch's shoulder. "No, he's my mistress, so you see, I have all bases covered." Lelouch almost choked on his champagne.

The man grew ever more frustrated. He stood up straight from the pillar. "I don't think you know who you are turning down right now. I'm Luciano Bradley, commander of the Valkyrie Squadron, also known as the Vampire of Britannia."

Lelouch had had enough. Of all people for Milly to catch the eye of, this was almost certainly the worst. "I think she knows exactly who she's turning down: A pompous madman who can't take a hint," Lelouch said in a low and calm voice.

Luciano made an almost feral growl. "And just who might you be?!" He barked, taking two steps towards Lelouch.

"Just a humble middle class student."

That apparently struck a nerve in the would-be vampire for some reason as he threw his beverage into the ground."Why you little-."

A red haired woman with a modest fox mask, also apparently military, grabbed Luciano's shoulder hesitantly. "Remember that we are here as Princess Guinevere's bodyguards. We're not supposed to fraternize, much less cause a scene." A small crowd had developed around the commotion Lelouch had put himself dead centre in.

Luciano didn't break his glare at Lelouch. "Well some orders were made to be disobeyed."

 _Guinevere is here? Another person to avoid,_ Lelouch noted. Lelouch tried to pull away from Milly, but her arms seemed to have turned into a stiff lock around his arm. He eventually wriggled free and Milly was left clutching feebly after his shirt. Lelouch squared up with the taller man. _I gotta get out of this altercation quickly and peacefully before some guards intervene._

Lelouch not really being an imposing figure only earned a confident smirk from Luciano. Lelouch extended his glass to the man, who's expression turned from cocky to confused. Lelouch looked him dead in the eyes. "Take this drink, pour it over your head and stay in that corner over there until tomorrow morning."

A red tint fell over Luciano's eyes as he took the glass from Lelouch. "Yes, of course," he said in an absolute monotone before promptly emptying his new beverage over his head, collapsing his spiky orange mane into a wet mess. He subsequently walked off without another word. His female subordinates who had gathered behind him could only gape at each other. And the crowd began incessantly whispering among one another.

Lelouch turned to Milly who was staring at him with as much amazement as anyone else. He quickly grabbed one of her hands and brusquely guided her over to a less crowded area. They soon arrived at a marble bench situated against the wall. Lelouch slumped down on the bench and took a deep relieved breath.

Milly hovered above him. "How did you make him do that?" She was still in utter disbelief.

 _Indeed, how did I?_ Lelouch really wanted to tell her about everything then and there: his geass, the Black Knights, Zero, all of it. But he knew he couldn't and shouldn't. He had no that doubt she would never betray him, after all she was his closest friend behind Suzaku and Nunnaly. Hell, he could maybe even avoid ever being dragged to events by her again, if she knew what deep shit he was involved in. Alas he knew he would be putting her in danger and the last thing he wanted was to hurt his friends.

"Lelouch" Milly asked, clearly growing worried since he had just been blankly staring at her for god knows how long. He had to try to just play it off.

He smirked and shrugged his shoulders a little. "Well, I gave him a _really_ mean look." He looked up at her face, but she just kept staring at him with her mouth slightly ajar.

He tried to maintain his cool façade despite the growing inner panic that she might have somehow caught onto him. Much to his relief, she suddenly burst out laughing and clutching her stomach with one arm. "Sorry, hahaha, it's just that I just don't know how you manage to keep surprising me after all these years."

Lelouch pouted. "What? You don't think I can be intimidating if I want to be?"

Milly sat down right next to him still intermittently chuckling. "No, in fact. If I ever do become a baroness, I will appoint _you_ as my white knight in shining armour."

Lelouch couldn't stifle a chuckle at the absurd notion. "I don't know if I'm suited to be a personal knight or a knight of any kind."

"Nonsense! If any miscreant ever threatens me, you can simply scare them away with your bitch face!" They both laughed furiously. Lelouch couldn't remember when he had last had such unabashed fun. _Maybe spending time with Milly here isn't so bad after all_.

"But seriously. Such valour must not go unrewarded," she announced in a mockingly haughty voice like a queen from some old medieval themed film. "I hereby bestow upon you, esteemed knight, this chalice of holy water." She pressed the tip of her champagne glass against Lelouch's mouth.

"No, cut if out," Lelouch grumbled.

"Tsk tsk, it is a great dishonour to reject a lady's reward," Milly insisted.

He knew this was probably not wise, but decided to take her advice and cut loose for once "Fine." Lelouch relented and opened his mouth allowing Milly pour the champagne down his throat. Much to his chagrin, she didn't stop until he'd emptied the glass from top to bottom. He nearly coughed it up again when he was done.

"You know that I'm bad at holding my liquor," Lelouch said with a raspy voice.

"I know," Milly said smugly.

"Are you trying to get me drunk?"

"Maybe." Milly feigned an innocent look.

"Are you flirt-" Lelouch choose to end that topic before it began when he saw the Earl of Pudding approach.

"Ah Milly and Lelouch! I see that you are both enjoying yourselves. Lelouch I really must thank you for so diligently entertaining my Milly pie whilst I have been attending to my dreary business."

"Don't worry, it's my pleasure."

"Oh don't be so humble! I heard that you even protected Milly's honour from a persistent deviant. The Vampire of Britannia no less. I could hardly believe my ears when I heard it, but I have since been assured by multiple sources."

"Oh, it was nothing."

"Oh no! It was most certainly something. I have made sure that your courage will be rewarded."

"I think that I have received more than my fair share of rewards for one evening," Lelouch coughed.

"Nonsense, you will love this. You probably haven't heard but Princess Guinevere and Princess Euphemia are both going to bestow us with their presence shortly."

"Are they?"

"Indeed! What pleasant surprise, no?"

 _Not Euphemia too..._ "I'm awestruck," Lelouch lied nervously.

"I know you aren't experienced with these events my new friend, so you may not have heard of this exciting tradition: When unbetrothed princesses attend a ball, it is custom that they start off the dance by choosing a dancing partner from a select group of young bachelors. Isn't that humbling?"

"Indeed." Lelouch really hoped that this wasn't going where he thought it was.

"Well be prepared to go beyond humbled. For I have pulled a few strings with a few influential friends and alas your name is now firmly on the roster. Congratulations."

 **Authors note: Not really a cliffhanger, you should all have an idea of where this going. Sorry for the slow updates, but I seem to have a hard time churning them out any faster.**


	3. Chapter 3

_**This isn't good**_. Lelouch did not know how many times he had repeated that thought in his head, but he could only revisit that sentiment more rapidly and loudly in his mind as he lined up with the other bachelors at the centre of the room, facing a grand stairway at the one end of the ballroom. He was still desperately trying to plot an escape plan. None had worked so far.

"But Sir! I'm not worthy of such an honour! I'm not even really a member of the noble class!" He had reasoned.

"Nonsense my dear boy!" Lloyd dismissed. "As an Earl I can officially bestow you the title of Esquire, I can make you a knight even. In the unlikely event that any questions are raised, then I will have your back, even if I must forge the necessary documents in the morning."

"But sir! I am so nervous that I'm sure I will screw this up!"

"No more arguing my dear lad. If you are able to stare down the vampire of Britannia, then the prospect of dancing with royalty should be a walk in the park. Or rather a dance at a ball I should say. Haha!"

There was clearly no refusing the Earl of Pudding and his witless jokes. The only other plausible way of escape that he could imagine was throwing up, yet despite his nausea and drunkenness, he could not force himself to vomit without publicly sticking a couple of fingers down his throat.

"Lelouch? What are you doing here?" A familiar voice asked him. Lelouch turned his head to find the unmistakeable figure of his best friend standing next to him. Suzaku was dressed in his formal gold and white uniform with a narrow tight mask matching the colour scheme. _**How did I not spot him?**_ He must have been too trapped in his own thoughts to have even noticed him. He really was out of it.

Realizing that he had probably been staring at his old friend for an uncomfortable amount of time, he finally mustered a simple answer. " _Milly..."_

Suzaku chuckled and shook his head. "Up to one of her convoluted schemes I guess?"

Lelouch moved his gaze to the floor. "Something like that."

"Well she must have had some really potent blackmail to make you come. You _do_ realise how much danger you're in right, _right_? I really hope whatever you have for being here is worth it." Suzaku's voice seemed to turn much more serious and much less playful.

Lelouch gulped. "Given the current scenario, I'm not so sure."

"I'd usually tell you 'chin up pal' or something like that, but right now I think it's best if you turn your chin down and try to hide your face as much as you can. There are a dozen other boys standing with us here. All salivating for the chance to mingle with an unwedded princess. Just do everything you can to not look appealing and I'm sure they will overlook you."

"I'll do my bes-"

He was interrupted by loud trumpets, probably announcing the arrival of the guests of honour, who happened to be two of the last people he wanted to meet right at that moment. The previously loud and bustling ballroom fell silent and a purply and pompously dressed servant walked atop the opposing staircase, in front of which the crowd parted offering cleaving open corridor leading straight to Lelouch and his merry band of hopeful playboys. The servant and presumed herald coughed and cleared his throat. "Ladies and gentlemen! It is my great honour to present... her royal highness, Euphemia Li Britannia, third princess of the Empire and sub-viceroy of Area 11!"

"All hail princess Euphemia!" All the attendees shouted in unison, pumping their fists in the air.

"And her special guest, visiting from the homeland. Her royal highness, Guinevere de Britannia, first princess of the Empire!"

"All hail princess Guinevere!" The attendees replicated the earlier salute with the same enthusiasm.

 _ **Britannia's Marie Antoinette,**_ Lelouch mused to himself. Lelouch had barely interacted with his oldest sister during his childhood, but he had studied what information he could find on her since. And he could not say that her popular nickname was unwarranted.

The doors above the staircase swung open and two royal guards armed with halberds came out and positioned themselves either side of the staircase. They were soon followed by Euphemia dressed in an elegant and almost modest pink dress with a matching feathered masque clearly meant to resemble a flamingo. Next to her was Guinevere who was dressed in a purple dressed that hugged her waist and shoulders tightly, revealing more than a fair bit of cleavage, before falling loosely around her legs. She also wore her usual crescent shaped hair tie and a small silver masque embroidered with amethyst jewels, a single white feather sticking out above her right eye slit.

They slowly walked down the staircase, giving the audience time to breathe in their royal glow. Counts, Earls, Dukes and everyone all bent their knees and bowed as they passed them on the floor. Soon only Lelouch and his merry band stood standing as they approached. A bit rusty in court etiquette, Lelouch followed the lead of the lads around him, bending the knee once Euphemia and Guinevere stopped a few feet in front of them.

The servant and herald from earlier emerged next to the royal pair of sisters and coughed into his hand. "As is tradition, unmarried members of the royal family will have the first dances for the evening and they will choose their initial partners from this group of esteemed and noble bachelors," he announced loudly and stiffly. He waved a towards Lelouch's group. "Your royal highnesses are free to choose any one of these men you find to your liking." The servant proceeded to retreat from the entire scene.

Everyone in the ballroom gradually rose to their feet and Lelouch followed suit, but his eyes were still glued to the floor. He had started sweating despite feeling a cold shiver run down his spine.

Judging by the pink silk flowing past through his peripheral vision, Lelouch knew Euphemia was first up. Despite her moving uncomfortably close, it was obvious that she only had eyes for one man in the line. He might have once been jealous as Suzaku scuttled away with the princess around his arm.

It was now Guinevere's turn and she took a much more leisurely approach, marching up and down and inspecting the line of men like a military officer inspecting their troops before a drill. When she stood as far away as she seemed likely to find herself, Lelouch glanced up at her. Just so he could get a clearer overview of the situation than the marble floor could offer. He however only managed to make eye contact with her intense, scrutinizing eyes. He gulped and bowed his head down as if he had discovered some great appreciation for the tips of his shoes.

She moved down the line at pace that felt agonizing to Lelouch. And the agony grew as she slowed down in front of him. She eventually stopped facing straight towards him. _**Oh shit...**_

"I would be happy to honour you with my first dance, young sir," she said in an uptight voice that sent tremors down Lelouch's spine.

Lelouch raised his head and forced himself to smile. "And what a great honour it is, your grace," he practically croaked out.

 **Notes:**

Hey guys. Sorry for the ungodly late update, but due to school and a lack of creative energy that's just how it went. I would have liked to have made this chapter a bit longer, but I felt that you guys deserve some sort of update. Thank you for the patience. I've "luckily" gotten the flu, so I don't have much else better to do than write. Hopefully the next update will come fairly rapidly.

P.S I think that I've forgotten to enable rich text in the previous chapters, so things like cursive and thick text weren't in place previously. So things like thoughts and emphasis weren't marked. I'll try to fix this.


	4. Chapter 4

**Authors note:** **Hey guys. Sorry about the long wait, again. I have just been really busy lately. I am finishing my bachelor's degree in philosophy currently so I have a lot on my plate for the time being. I will try to finish this story up early in the summer. I suspect that I will only need one more slightly long chapter before it's complete. Thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy this update.**

Lelouch tried to swallow, but his throat made him feel like he had been drinking sand for the last hour. He rubbed his palms on the back of his thighs to hide how much he was sweating. His half-sister stood opposing him just a few feet away and Lelouch could see her eyes darting around inside the slits of her mask, studying and judging him.

The dance would start off with a waltz and though he remembered the basics, he did not know if that would cut it under the current circumstances. The last time he had danced a waltz was, mostly against his will, with Milly when he was thirteen at one of Ashford's annual balls. He had since developed a tendency to avoid such events, but right at that moment he would be ecstatic if he could swap his current partner for Milly.

The music started quiet and steadily grew louder until it resonated through the whole ballroom. Fear gripped Lelouch and he froze. He could not move even though the rational side of his mind was urging him to do something. He felt a brief reassuring hand from Suzaku who had been standing next to him, before his friend went to approach Euphemia who was standing next to Guinevere.

Lelouch managed to calm himself enough to formulate some kind of strategy. Just follow Suzaku's lead and you can't fail any worse than him, he assured himself. He slowly walked towards Guinevere, stealing glances at Suzaku so he could copy his queues. When he was within arm's reach of her, he offered her his right hand. She paused as if reflecting on something, before finally taking his right hand accepting his dance for real. He moved his left hand to hold around her waist as lightly as possible. Her grip on his left shoulder was much firmer.

He detected through the corner of his eye that Suzaku and his second-favourite sister had begun to move and so he began to sway himself. Luckily his old Waltz lessons quickly came back to him. Nonetheless he kept himself to the simplest moves. There was no point risking a faux pas under the current circumstances. He envied Suzaku and Euphemia who were enjoying a much better time from the whole ordeal.

His eyes darted between Guinevere and random members of the crowd that he could spot over her shoulder. Her focused eyes however never left his face. Soon others began to join the dancing. First the dukes and duchesse, then the earls and countesses and finally the barons and baronesses and everyone else on the convoluted ladder of nobility. Lelouch knew he was in the homestretch. All he had to do was bore her sufficiently with his lacklustre dancing until she excused herself to find one of a hundred more eager dance partners. Milly and Lloyd swayed past, Milly offering shining him a suggestive grin and thumbs-up.

"I suppose you're wondering why I chose you..."

Lelouch startled slightly and snapped his head to look at his sister when he heard her calculating voice. "Well, ehm.." He could not find any strategic reply to give.

"Of all the boys presented. You were the only one to bow his head. May I ask why you did so?"

"We- well it was out of deference for your royal station," he managed to stammer out.

"I expected as much and that is why I chose you. Too many of the men at these events hold their head up high in pride, even when in my royal presence. All of them believe themselves inherently worthy of my attention. You on the other hand showed true appreciation for me and my sister's royal blood."

"You honour me with your words, your highness."

"It's almost a shame my sister did not choose you. You are a suitable age to court her and she should learn to appreciate proper Britannian subjects. Not lavish an eleven with her affections."

Lelouch forced a smile. "I'm sure she will learn in time. And from what I've heard, the honorary britannian she dances with is a very capable knightmare pilot."

"Don't be naïve. He may be a capable grunt, but a grunt nonetheless. And one with questionable loyalties considering his background. Speaking of backgrounds, tell me about yourself. What is your name and title?" Guinevere let go of his shoulder briefly to move his hand lower on her back, just to the beginnings of the curve of her behind.

"Eh, sir Julius Kingsley your grace. I'm a knight in the service of Earl Lloyd Asplund."

Guinevere laughed brazenly "In service to the Earl of Pudding! I see. Tell me, are you also merely a capable grunt?"

Lelouch chuckled nervously. "I'm afraid not even so. I'm a knight in title only, I'm a mediocre knightmare pilot at best. I merely assist Lloyd with research and military intelligence I suppose you could say."

Guinevere's voice was low now. "And I merely suspect, there is more to you then you are letting on. Since I saw you, the way you carry yourself, the aura you radiate, seems almost... almost regal. It reminds me of someone."

"I'm afraid I don't follow, your grace." Lelouch smiled apologetically.

Guinevere pressed closer to him, her scantily-clad bosom pressing firmly against his chest. "I would very much like to see your face, young knight."

She started to reach for his masque.

Lelouch ducked his head back. "Your grace! I really don't know if that is appropriate."

Guinevere tilted her head a little and smiled mischievously. "Then it's a good thing that I do know."

She then brusquely grabbed his mask and lifted it off his head. Not for the first time that evening, Lelouch's heart felt stuck in his throat. He stood still and stared at Guinevere who was still uncomfortably pressed up against him, close enough surely to hear his breath hitch. Guinevere, mouth slightly open, seemed also a little taken aback. She slowly moved her free hand to his face and began stroke his cheek. Her mouth melted into a sly smile.

"Oh my... I see why you are so keen to hide your face."

"Guinevere..." Lelouch gulped.

She pressed two fingers to against his lips to silence him and leaned forward. "Don't you have a handsome face?"

"Your grace?" Lelouch mumbled behind her fingers.

Guinevere leaned in so that her mouth hovered just by his ear. "I have a few other court obligations I must attend to tonight, but I will send one of my guards to bring you my chamber later," she whispered.

Lelouch began screaming in his mind, no, oh god! NO! She then breathed a heavy sensuous breath into his ear and turned around, intentionally bumping her behind into his groin before returning his masque over her shoulder and walking off.

Lelouch immediately returned his masque to its rightful place and began tugging the collar of his shirt. What do I do now? Lelouch wondered. He suddenly felt all alone in a sea of strangers. He did not know if he was lucky that Guinevere did not recognize him or unlucky that she had taking a special kind of liking to him. Things were going from good to bad to worse. At this rate he would be drawn and quartered before dawn.

I need to get out of here, he realized and not a moment too soon. He began scurrying towards the exit. When he arrived he recognized two women, who had been accompanying Luciano Bradley earlier, speaking to a guard officer by the large doors. They spotted him and one of the two women pointed him out. The officer waved him over. What would likely follow if he complied was an interrogation and further inspection of his affairs.

Shit! Lelouch melted back into the crowd of the ballroom, trying to get as far away as possible. As things stood, he would either have to risk being identified as Zero or an exiled Britannian prince or hide away until he is summoned and take his chances on a romantic night with his half-sister Guinevere. Neither option was appealing.

He needed help from an ally. Someone who could help him get away or at least someone who could hide him away and conceal him until the heat cooled down. Problem was that a masquerade ball for the elite nobility was practically his version of a lion's den and not a place crawling with people he could confide in.

He spotted Suzaku. He was talking to Euphemia and apparently still having a jolly good time. He couldn't just walk up to him and ask for help lest he risk Euphemia recognizing him. He couldn't really get him away from her either without calling for him. If Euphemia did not recognize his appearance, she might recognize his voice. He would have to get his attention discreetly.

He casually walked behind Euphemia and waited for Suzaku to spot him.

Euphemia was happily babbling on about everything that came to her mind. Some things never change. "Did you see how Guinevere latched onto that guy that she chose from the bachelors. It's weird, I've never seen her as much as get along with any of the other dance partners she's picked before. She really hates that tradition."

Suzaku was acting coy as always. "He must have been a very good dancer. He made me look like a complete amateur."

"Stop it! Your dancing was great. Not shabby at all," Euphemia laughed. "Besides that other guy wasn't that good. He was kinda cute though."

"You're too kind. I was so bad that you had to dictate the dancing. I practically felt like I was the lady being lea-."

He finally spotted him over Euphemia's shoulder. Lelouch aggressively nodded his head towards the serving tables.

Euphemia caught on to Suzaku's hesitation. "What is it? Did you spot someone you know?"

When she started to turn her head towards him, Lelouch began frailly trying to push a path through the crowd, earning a few indignant remarks everyone around him.

Luckily Suzaku grabbed her shoulders and smiled to recapture her wide-eyed attention. "It's nothing, I thought I recognized an old friend. It's hard to tell with all these masks."

"Really. Who was it?"

"HEY!"

Euphemia turned back towards Suzaku. "What?"

"I'm really worn out and a little bit parched from all that dancing. I'm going to go get some water. Do you want me to bring you a glass too?"

Lelouch and finally managed to slip through a small channel in the mass of people. He could still hear his best friend and half-sister chatting though.

"You okay Suzaku? You're acting a little weird."

"I'm just not used to these kinds of events I guess. Maybe I'm agoraphobic or something."

When he could no longer hear their bickering, Lelouch knew he was safe for the time being. Now he simply had to rendezvous with Suzaku and plot an escape route.


	5. Planning the Great Escape

Lurking in the shadow of one of the many marble columns lining the ballroom might not actually be as stealthy as one would imagine. Nonetheless it seemed to have worked so far for Lelouch. He'd been waiting for Suzaku to show up at the nearby serving tables for a while now, yet he was nowhere to be seen.

Whenever any security walked by, Lelouch could only try to avoid eye contact and lean against uncomfortably hard column. _If the guard officer from earlier did order a search for me, then it's only a matter of time before they find me. Even in a sea of people like this. Damn it Suzaku! Where are you?_

A hand grabbed Lelouch's shoulder and being startled did not justify Lelouch's consequent grunt, or whimper if you want to be mean about it.

" _Soooo..._ This is where your hiding?" Luckily the voice was a very familiar one.

Lelouch turned his head find to blond hair and angry blue eyes glaring at him through a red and gold masque. " _Milly_?" Lelouch had almost forgotten that he was there to accompany her.

A slap swiftly snapped his gaze elsewhere. "Don't you " _Milly"_ me. I bet you totally forgot I was even here."

 _Can she read my mind now?_ Lelouch lightly rubbed the now reddening skin on his cheek. "What the hell Milly!? What was that for?"

Milly shoved a finger in Lelouch's face and began wiggling it. "If you _seriously_ don't know the answer to that question then you deserve at least another slap. Now do you want to try again?"

Lelouch noticed that her cheeks were a little redder than usual and she was slurring her words just a bit. "Are you drunk?"

Milly gaped at him as if affronted and raised her hand to give him another strike. Lelouch pre-empted her by gripping her forearm. "Look, I don't have time for this. I'm in enough trouble as it is."

"Trouble? Is that what you call your pervy shenanigans."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb. Lloyd told me everything," Milly pointed her free at hand at him. "You. Are about to. _Bang your sister."_

Lelouch gritted his teeth. "Milly..."

"I mean I told you to try to have fun, but that's going way overboard."

"Milly."

"I mean, sure, she's got a pair of huge tits and all, but your _sister._ I'm frankly starting to worry about all that time you spend with Nunnally. _"_

Lelouch gave up and covered her mouth with his hand, which did not deter her from mumbling what he could only assume were obscenities at him. "Listen!" Lelouch ordered forcefully.

Milly stilled and looked at him with wide eyes shimmering eyes. _Shit, she's upset. She always gets a little emotional when she's drunk._

He let go of her mouth and forearm. "Look, it's true that Guinevere has invited me to her room later, but I have no intention of taking her up on her offer."

"Why haven't you left then?"

"The guards want to talk to me because of the incident with that asshole earlier today. If I let them take me in for questioning, they might realise who I really am."

"Like who? Lelouch the sister-fucker?"

"For god's sake Milly-"

"Lelouch." Suzaku approached them, luckily with Euphemia tailing him. "I'm sorry it took me a while to excuse myself from Euhpy. I heard one of the guards saying that they were looking for a man matching your description. Oh, and hi Milly."

"Hi Suzu," Milly greeted dejectedly.

 _So, things are as bad as I imagined,_ Lelouch realised. "Is there any way I can leave without being noticed by any of the guards?"

"I don't think so. A big event like this with so many prominent people, they've formed an extremely secure perimeter. All the exits are heavily guarded."

"Well do you have any ideas how I might escape?"

"Well I thought that we could go and swap costumes maybe. You might be able to just walk past the guards that way, but I have to return to Euphy soon, so it might raise questions if I'm wearing your clothes."

"Uh-hum," Milly coughed, getting the pair's attention. "Are there any guards stationed in the gardens?"

"Well noo, there's only a couple of patrols around the edges."

"Well then it's settled, Lelouch and me and will just walk through the central maze."

Lelouch raised an eyebrow. "But how do I get to the gardens?"

"It's just a short drop from the one of the balconies," Milly declared triumphantly raising a finger in the air.

"I think it's probably your best shot," Suzaku shrugged.

Lelouch turned to Milly with a smile. "Thanks Milly, I never thought you would be the one to get me out of this. But you should stay here with Suzaku. If I get caught, I don't want you to get in trouble as well."

"Oh no! Not so fast!" Milly grabbed Lelouch's wrist. "You promised me a fun evening and you're not bailing on me now. If strolling through the garden with you is the plan, then so be it. Nice seeing you Suzaku." She then begun to drag Lelouch along. Lelouch sent a pleading look towards Suzaku, who only smiled and shook his head.

* * *

 **Bena Note:** **Hey sorry for the long wait. Same story I'm afraid. I've just been a little busy. I'm still working on the last chapter, but it's not quite there yet. So I thought I'd just publish this one small piece of it to reassure everyone that I'm still working on the story.**

 **A few of you guys requested additional pairings for this story, Guinevere in particular. It will just be Milly this time. If you guys are interested I might make a little thing with Guinevere in the future. Let me know if any of you guys would be into that.**


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